S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Lost Alpha
S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Lost Alpha is a standalone Modification based upon the S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl game originally developed by GSC. Overview *One of the principal objectives for the designers of S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Lost Alpha was to reintroduce, wherever possible, previously cut content that had been effectively jettisoned prior to the release of the Base Game. *Unlike many mods, S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Lost Alpha is a standalone game and requires no retail S.T.A.L.K.E.R. game to be previously installed before modification. The game will play directly from its own installation folder / directory. * As a standalone game, the most obvious difference from Shadow of Chernobyl is the sheer immensity of the Lost Alpha Zone in comparison. * Many previously cut levels have been re-introduced such as Darkscape and Dead City where salient plot-lines are executed in a considerably more detailed, and arguably, more coherent main quest. * While the weaponry and armour remain largely unchanged from the '''Base Game, upgrading has been engineered into the game and behaves similarly to these functions seen in the other games: S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear Sky and S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Call of Pripyat. Technicians are, however, in short supply. Weaponry has been rebalanced in terms of firepower (usually upwards for small arms and low-end weaponry) with the result that players will probably now wish to maintain suitable sidearms for the duration of the game. * Since the Lost Alpha Zone is so large and diverse, vehicles are re-introduced to facilitate Zonal travel. Many are available within the levels for free, others may be purchased from the Barkeep. * Just about every mutant that previously appeared in an earlier Build has been reintroduced and possibly some that are unique in their own right. * In addition to an enlarged Lost Alpha Zone, there are also many more underground locations. Some only become apparent as a result of side-missions or main-mission tasks but they are all expansions of the Base Game. * Where the affiliation of the player's actor was well demarcated in Shadow of Chernobyl and became more variable in Clear Sky, players will find that in this Mod that their actor may actively use camouflage by mimicking other factions through the use of appropriate dress. Although Faction Wars are not a feature of the game, the disposition of other Factions to the player varies with the progression of the storyline. Depending upon the player's decisions this will be most notable with the Military and the Monolith factions. Reception *Lost Alpha revieved mixed reviews *Lost Alpha was released earlier than intended, and the finished product is incomplete and broken. Despite being highly hyped prior to its release, the release was met with a large backlash. Prior to release, the mod was very highly rated on Moddb based on teaser content, but after the actual release, the majority of reviews have been strongly negative. *The worst criticisms center on the broken and unfinished game design. Unlike SoC, the large levels are nearly empty and NPCs have little to no A-Life, meaning the player will spend excessive time just moving from point-to-point to finish quests with almost no action in between - resulting in an extremely boring and tedious experience (a player may have to run for 15+ real-time minutes simply to finish individual quests). *The initial release was also full of many game breaking bugs, though patches have been released to correct the worst bugs. Nevertheless many serious problems still exist, such as broken vehicle mechanics, and the ability for key characters to be accidentally killed (resulting in the game being uncompletable without reloading an earlier save). *The in-game voice acting and cinema sequences were also widely criticized as being very poor and detrimental to game immersion. The deviation of the plot from the original SoC (ex. including Illuminati references) was also very unpopular with S.T.A.L.K.E.R. fans. Differences from Base Game Getting Around * Certainly for the early game, the player will be on foot. Later, there are several opportunities to repurpose various abandoned vehicles to speed up movement. * It is not always possible (or desirable) to drive through some level transitions. * Whichever mode of travel is chosen, the player will quickly become aware that in comparison to the Base Game which utilizes the 1.0 version of the X-Ray (Engine), Lost Alpha has improved physics characteristics built in, with the result that running through rough terrain and undergrowth impedes the player proportionately. Previously this was mostly noticeable over aquatic features. Now, the player will need to calculate non-linear travel / escape routes. *Additionally, the game is set in July rather than May. Not a major change, just enough to allow the vegetation to grow higher and denser to provide better camouflage for opponents.. The mid-summer setting allows for some stormy weather as well. * One notable difference regarding gameplay is that the player will not be engaging in a "running game" to the finishing post. Various levels are closed to the player until certain criteria are established. However, this does not result in the game "linearity" seen in S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear Sky but is arguably a balance between CS and the Base Game. *Players should also be aware that opponents will use grenades (often recklessly) as in Clear Sky but that there is no 'incoming' animation to assist, just an audible taunt. *The implementation of weapon 'Blind Firing' has not carried over though. Levels :Alphabetical list of Lost Alpha levels with brief description. *Agroprom Institute *Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant *Construction Site *Cordon *Countryside *Dark Valley *Darkscape *Dead City *Forest *Garbage *Generators *Generators 2 *Great Metal Factory *Lost Factory *Military Warehouses *Oso *Outskirts *Pripyat *Pripyat Underground *Radar *Rostok Factory *Sarcophagus *Swamps * Lab X2 (Warlab) * Lab X7 * Lab X10 (Brain Scorcher) * Lab X14 * Lab X16 (Miracle Machine?) * Lab X18 *Yantar Minor Locations *There are a plethora of minor locations that the player will visit during the course of play. *Descriptions of these locations, together with other interesting information may be found here. Artifacts * The Artifacts in Lost Alpha do not have the same properties as artifacts in the original game. Many have more in common with the rebalanced properties seen in S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear Sky and S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Call of Pripyat. * Other, more esoteric artifacts exist due to the (re)-introduction of the Artifact Merger resulting in a more diverse set of artifacts, some with quite varied properties. :See also Artifacts. Anomalies Many cues have been taken from original STALKER alpha and beta footage and Clear Sky and Call of Pripyat. There are more and stranger anomalies than in the original Shadow of Chernobyl. *The player's perception of Radiation is more in keeping with that experienced in the later canon games where increased radiation 'darkens' the screen. This is the opposite effect to that portrayed in the release build of Shadow of Chernobyl where radiation was presented as a 'white-out' in severe instances. Mutants and Wildlife : As mentioned in the Overview there is a pretty eclectic mutant population in the Lost Alpha Zone. Most of these are best dealt with using small arms, a silent pistol is especially effective due to its ease of upgrade and low cost of maintenance. : Most of the audio cues and behavioral characteristics for the wildlife remain very similar to those seen in SoC, but there are differences: * Blind dogs now have a 'whistle' which they seem to use in echo location. Although effective, the player may exploit a weakness of this ability by hiding in a bush and remaining motionless until the beasts lose the 'audio scent'. * s] have now developed the ability to latch onto the player for a health-draining 'extraction', which they conclude with a heavy right hook combination that may prove fatal if damage prevention characteristics are insufficient. * Fleshes always seem to be good for a Flesh Eye. * The Pseudodog seem to fight less aggressively, is routinely terminated even with handguns (due to higher damage from the weapons) and only provide Pseudodog tails on rare occasions. * Snorks seem unchanged from SoC, less hyperactive compared to CS specimens, best dealt with using more powerful weaponry and have a low probability of yielding a Snork foot. * Burers are still a bit of a pain, can easily kill the unwary player, need to be approached quickly while they have their shield up and then dispatched with head shots as soon as it is removed. Dead Burers are a certainty for acquiring a Hand of a Burer. * There is a Naked Burer towards the northern end of Forest. The body is still good for a Burer Hand. *For Lost Alpha the little green-eyed dwarf-with-a-punch is designated as a Karlik. Specimens have been found with the Karlik's ear body part, but these are extremely rare. * The Karlito appeared in early releases of the game, notably in the Pripyat Underground, but appears to have been deprecated subsequent to patch 1.3002. * Boar are pretty much unchanged but are very unyielding of Boar's hoof trophies. * The Bloodsucker Village that appears in LA is best avoided later in the game. The tower becomes patrolled by at least two Chimera. Safe passage between the Dead City gate and Great Metal Factory is shortest and safest along the western fence. * Izlom mutants are pretty tough characters and best attacked from a distance. Their melée attack is quite punishing. Corpses often yield Izlom's Hand body parts. * Poltergeist are more of a debilitating nuisance than a serious threat. In LA they frequently allow the player to claim a Poltergeist's brain as a trophy. * There is also a water-dwelling Swampbeast which has a body modeled upon the corporeal form of the Poltergeist. These are relatively slow moving 'knuckle-walkers' and have a melée attack. No salvageable body parts. * Phantasms seem to be present but rare. * Pyrogeist still set fire traps and are a noticeable feature in X10. * Cats tend to patrol in pairs over open countryside, have a fair rupture attack being clawed beasts and are very fast when attacking. Fortunately for the player they are physically weak. * Rodents and Rats usually confine their activities to the underground locations. The former usually attack singly or in small numbers. The Rats are proper swarm pack vermin. The player is advised to seek higher ground from which to exterminate them with pistol fire. * Controllers are particularly lethal in LA both because of their psycokinetic attack and because of their medium range psy attack generally. Protective devices against psy assault remain rudimentary in LA compared to later canon games and the availability of other warding measures is also currently in short supply or non-existent. Factions *The usual Factions carry over from the Base game as expected but the way that they behave towards the player has been altered in several ways. *The previously cut faction Sin makes a reappearance and the mysterious Stranger faction is introduced. *A faction for Traders has been created which remains neutral to the player during the game. Other NPCs who mimic traders remain members of their base factions. Armour For the most part armour carries over from Shadow of Chernobyl and there are limited possibilities for suit repairing and upgrading if the player has the wherewithal and inclination to track the Technician down. They are much less prominent than in Clear Sky for example. * One notable difference is that a Stalker suit now weighs 8kg instead of 5kg. * Upgrades do not appear to add carry weight to the armour. * One other feature of upgrading is that applying an upgrade also results in automatic suit repair thus obviating the need to repair and then upgrade. In most cases this exploit is only available for the first two upgrades, after which the suit is upgraded to the limit of its tree and subsequent repairs will need to be paid for routinely. * The "SKAT-9" armour that may be purchased from Petrenko when he becomes a Trader later in the game is bugged and will deteriorate very quickly. Weaponry * As noted in the Overview weaponry has been rebalanced upwards for the most part. * Upgrade trees are introduced in a similar vein to those appearing in Clear Sky but some parameters still need fine tuning as of version 1.3003. * Weapon 'drift' and 'shake' are apparent. * Unique weaponry exists in plentiful variety throughout the game, but none of the "technicians" will repair them. * Either through a coding error or by intention, the TRs 301 in its accuracy enhanced state will provide the player with more than adequate work-a-day firepower. The rifle does not seem to degrade noticeably during use either. * Conversely, the Vintar BC becomes much less useful in the field with more than one basic upgrade. (Versions 1.3000 through 1.3003) * For the player on a budget, a standard Obokan can be especially user friendly due to its enhanced strike power. The Sniper Obokan and Storming Obokan variants are also useful in the early game (but may not be repaired) :A comprehensive list of available weaponry and ammunition may be found here. Vehicles *As mentioned in Getting Around there are a variety of vehicles that the player will be able to utilize within the game. A list of these may be found here. *There are several useable units situated within several of the levels. Others may be purchased from the Barkeep. Items *The list of Items available to the player is considerably larger and more diverse than in the Base Game. *The original food and drink items carry over, of course, but the player's diet is now more varied and several quality alcoholic drinks can now tickle the palate. *Items that are connected with the various stages of the Main mission are also extended in scope. As an example: the player will now need both the Not adjusted psi-helmet and the Functional psi-helmet to complete the game. The former may not be dropped when the latter is acquired either - and each one weighs a hefty 1.0kg. *Similarly, there are items that are involved as a facet of the various Side Missions, either as the target item or to enable progression to a later stage of the mission. *The player will need to make logistical decisions throughout the game. Another example: should the player's vehicle run short of fuel, a Petrol can weighing 10kg will need to be obtained and brought to the vehicle to refuel it. Item Trading *This has been expanded and altered from that seen in the canon games. *Previously, the player could generate a healthy income by trading Antirad for 225 Ru to just about anyone with the wherewithal in the Base Game; or make a dull but respectable income 'running guns' in Clear Sky. *Now, in LA there are more factors to consider: #Generally a Trader will not offer best prices for an item. #Friendly NPCs give better prices than Neutral NPCs who still give more than Truce NPCs such as the Military or Sin. #Basic food and drink items attract a pittance but the 'good stuff' sells for list price to almost anyone, Traders included. #Most Stalkers above Rookie level have 5000 Ru to trade with and will buy salvaged weaponry without quibble within their limits. #Different Factions will have varied preferences towards the sort of weapon the player tries to unload, some prefer Warsaw Pact items, some NATO gear. *Another useful revenue stream for the player may be the partially upgraded weapon. *An upgraded weapon will be purchased for its upgraded value by anyone with the resources to do so. This strategy works well: #Liberate an SVDm-2 or a GP 37 in any condition. #Take it to a friendly Technician and pay for the first second tier upgrade (unit repair comes free) #Sell the unique SVDm-2 or GP 37 for either 18,900 Ru or 21,000 Ru to someone with deep pockets, recouping the original upgrade cost (around 3500 Ru) with a useful margin on top. *In many instances these "uniques" stay with the NPC and might be available for repurchase at a subsequent date although this is far from certain as the NPC may determine that the unit is superior to that currently carried and instantly add it to their own personal inventory (observed with Skinflint) Stashes *Unsurprisingly, Stashes are present in the LA game space. *Despite the size of the Zone being 3-4 times larger than that of the Base Game, there are only around 170 stashes in total. *A list of these stashes may be found here. *The coordinates are obtained from corpses as before with the exception of one - which needs to be bought an a similar manner to some stashes in Clear Sky. Side Missions *There are fewer Side Missions offered by NPCs than in the Base Game. *Many are reminiscent of those seen in the Base Game but several involve some semi-complex logistical itineraries over the map. *A list may be found here. Timeline *The Timeline for the Lost Alpha is largely unchanged from Shadow of Chernobyl and a copy of the salient back history has been reproduced from the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Wiki. *As has been mentioned previously, the LA gameworld has a calender dateline of earlt July, with lively summer weather and extensive undergrowth in greater profusion than the Base Game. Trivia * It is not needed to have a previous GSC S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl game installation to install and play this game. * Lost Alpha is currently patchable to version 1.3003 as of 31st July 2014. * Lost Alpha's plot is in many cases similar to that of Shadow of Chernobyl. Still there are numerous and sometimes serious differences between the two, so Lost Alpha is not a lore friendly mod. * A Developer's Cut was announced on the 4th of December that will add more content into the game. A full list of changes can be found here. Credits *The game developers have correlated their pseudonyms and assumed real names in the game's final Credits. Notes Plot and Plotlines * Many of the original plot devices that were part of previous GSC builds have been added back to the game. Missions to various laboratories are more involved as a consequence. La Lore * As in the released game, there are pieces of teaser information that are gleaned from recovered PDAs and hint towards various aspects of the Zones and their historical development for the purposes of the game. These are listed in the LA Lore article. * Another source of 'information' comes from the Stalker communication network and is mostly composed of indifferent gags and jokes that are spawned at random intervals. Although these tend to portray the Zone as being populated and having a more active A-life, they can generally be ignored. __FORCETOC__ Category:Lost Alpha